Thursday, October 29, 2009

Tonight, Missy baked the THIRD AND FOURTH loaves of BANANA BREAD we've had this week. We're addicted! Actually, the first two loaves were BANANA-NUT breads, but we ran out of pecans tonight. Missy has been using this really simple, no-nonsense recipe:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

2 mashed bananas

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Pre-heat your oven to 350º. Mash the bananas - make sure they're nice and ripe. Mix all the dry ingredients together with the banana mash. Lastly, mix in the oil, maple syrup, and chopped pecans. Pour and spread mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes...check to see if the middle is gooey. If it is, stick it back in for another 10 to 15 minutes...obviously, if you don't like nuts, you can totally leave 'em out of the equation.

We've also been getting these free bags of ORGANIC HONEY CRISP APPLES from EARTHFARE. We've been printing out these coupons (we're on the Earthfare mailing list) that allow you to get a free bag of apples whenever you purchase something from their store. So, we've been stockpiling apples the past couple of days! And of course, the apples are as delicious as they are wholesome...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Missy was excited for the rain today because it was a chance for her to wear her snazzy new KEEP brand RAIN BOOTS. They have these cool green soles with treads that look like blades of grass. The lining is an electric blue and incredibly warm. We wanted to take pictures of the boots for Missy's mom, who is maybe interested in getting a pair...

Monday, October 26, 2009

One of our original Halloween costume ideas was for Missy to dress up like a JOCKEY or EQUESTRIENNE and for me to dress up like a HORSE. We ended up going in a totally different direction (GARDEN GNOMES) because Missy wasn't sure that she would find all the pieces of her costume in time. Well, lo and behold, when you're not looking, you always end up finding the thing that you were looking for. We came across a RIDING HELMET the other afternoon while doing a bit of thrifting - it fit Missy perfectly! So we at least have a head start on next year's costumes...

I also scored this 12" compilation called GIRL CRAZY, featuring classic 90's-style indiepop, garage, punk, and riot grrl bands. I was especially stoked to see Junior Varsity, The Chubbies, Budget Girls, and Maow (with a young Neko Case on drums) on the comp. The record is a nice slab of bubblegum pink, and the liner-notes insert has these great photos of each band - someone who saw these photos on my Flickr account, actually offered me money for it... JUST the insert! For the record (pun intended), I'm not selling it...

Saturday, October 24, 2009

So we have been sewing hard this weekend! We are so excited to be making some new goodies for the upcoming craft shows this season. I can't believe I am saying that - and my how this year is flying by!

Please say hello to the Bunny Money Wallet! this little fellow is made form wooly felt and is modified from the No cash Wallet from this book. I just added the bunny features and I love it! There is even a puff tail sewn on the back.

Since I am still on the subject of bunnies, here is a new Tissue Pal! I love the periwinkle color of this bun!

Raoul told me I have some good photos from Blythe Con, so I am giving you a bonus with some of my fabulous photos and thoughts from last weekend. Anyways, needless to say I had the best time at Blythe Con! The day started a little rainy and so chilly, but we all soon warmed up when I put on my Hello Kitty costume, oh and Isobel Creampuff put on hers, too. Isobel is my Happy Harbor Blythe.

I did not know I was making such a funny face in this photo, and my Kitty head is falling off the back of my head! I made the Hello Kitty costume in 2004 and I have worn it at least once each October since I have made it! This year it was updated with the addition of one that fits my Blythe dolls.

Inside we saw so many Blythe dolls! I loved shopping at the different tables. Some had handmade clothing - one of my favorites was Pomme Pomme - some had Re-ment, shoes, hats, and even deer! I got lots of Mary Jane shoes for my dolls.

I entered Isobel Creampuff in the costume contest. As you can see, there is some stiff competition!!

I loved all the customized Blythe! This one was especially pretty with peachy tones.

Before the pizza party portion of Blythe Con, Gina wanted to take a photo of all the Blythe dolls attending the convention! It was madness, but in the best possible sense! It was quite interesting to see so many girls and dolls stop traffic. "Here comes a bus, quick, take your photos!"

Then Gina got into it and we all took photos of her and the girls! Gina Garan is the ultimate Blythe famous person to me. She made the book "This is Blythe" and that is how I know about Blythe. My good friend Jamie showed it to me. Ever since then I have been hooked!

So of course it was a thrill for me to meet Gina! She is the best! She told me she had 500 dolls in her collection (she collects all kinds of dolls, not just Blythe, too) and she liked my Hello Kitty outfit! I also gave her a copy of my comic book mini zine Kneehigh: Blythe. I think Blythe is hard to draw, but Gina said I captured them just fine. Thank you, Gina!

And here are some of my goodies from Blythe Con! Check out the lovely crochet red dress that Raoul won!

We had such a fun day! Thanks to Linda, Jessica, and Kristen for making Blythe Con such a wonderful event!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Last week we let Nilla into LITTLE GUANTANAMO, Oreo's "living space". It was the first time we had our two pets "together" in the realest sense of the word. We were nervous that Nilla's killer instinct might kick in, or that Oreo might be frightened. So their play date was super supervised. They shared some leafy greens, the both of them sticking their heads into Oreo's bowl. Nilla was more interested in all of Oreo's toys, than she was the bunny. An Oreo, not feeling the least bit intimidated, tried her best to crawl underneath our cat, much to Nilla's chagrin. Nilla got annoyed a couple of times and lightly swatted at Oreo, who was relentless. In the end, Nilla couldn't wait to get out of Lil' Gitmo!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A GROUP PHOTO featuring ALL the dolls in attendance was planned for the grand finale of BLYTHECON 2009. The two tables set up in front of YOUNG BLOOD GALLERY seemed like too puny a platform for all the dolls to stand on, sooooooo...Gina suggested that we commandeer the steps leading up to the apartment complex across the street. With Blythe dolls in tow, everyone stampeded across busy Highland Avenue, ignoring the rushing traffic...

The scene at the steps was a hot mess as everyone crowded in to set up their girls. The mob totally blocked the sidewalk, forcing curious pedestrians to walk in the gutter as they gawked at the spectacle. A few people in the group worried that the police would no doubt be showing up soon...

Everyone stood back away from the steps so that they could get all the dolls in their photos. The crowd stood in the street, boldly stopping traffic in short periodic bursts, gleefully clicking off pictures. Eventually, they had Gina pose at the top of the steps, behind the dolls. She was the cherry top on the Blythe sundae...and everyone else was nuts! In-between photo ops, the group busied themselves with guessing how many dolls were actually sitting there, and marveled at the thought of how much "money" was gathered on those steps...

After the photo sesh, we crammed back into Young Blood, ready for the PIZZA SOCIAL. The cold weather piqued everyone's appetite, but by the time the food was served up, you could tell that everyone was exhausted and ready to wrap things up. It had been a long day (some attendees had been waiting in front of Young Blood since 8am) and things seemed to be winding down quickly after the group photo. As we gulped down pizza, people exchanged contact info, made plans for the evening, and promised each other that we would get in touch again over the internet...on our way home, Missy and I spent the last bit of our energy shopping for a few groceries at the Dekalb Farmer's Market...